Game apparatus



April 20, 1926.

D. WENDELKEN El AL GAME APPARATU 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed August 7, 1925 April 20,1926. 1,581,897

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9 Y l, I g 7 .50 2 -56 4 J O l .2!- 45 45 Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DIEDRICH WENDELKEN,

0F BOEBLINGrAND FRANK WEBER, OF BURLINGTON, NEW

JERSEY.

GAME APPARATUS.

Application filed August 7,1925. Serial No. 48,694.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we,

KEN, a citizen of -Germany,

DIEDRIOH anner.-

residing at Itoebling, in the county-of Burlington and State of New Jersey,

and F RANK WEBER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Burlington, in the county and State of New Jersey, new and usetul Improvements in a Apparatus, of which the specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in a game apparatus,

have invented Game following is a new and useful and has for its primary object the provision of a combination game distinct amusing the interchange of diiferen the substitution of games may board on which several be Played by t elements or Another object of our-invention is to provide a game games one of Nations wherein the game board for playing different which we call the League of pieces are figures representing diiferent nations such as Uncle Sam, John Bull game pieces to be set up 0 the game board to be shot or balls in an endeavor to figures each of which may having a numerical value vide counts for the game.

A further object of provide a game and The Kaiser,

said n one portion of at with marbles fill the different beconsidered as in order to prothe invention is to board consistlng of a base including several obstructed passageways or channelshaving inclines leading thereto, the latter being in line with chutes leadlng from holes in the upper or has circuitous channels the balls or marbles spring gun or equivalent game platform board which thereon. for guiding shot by hand or from a catapult. The

board also includes a reversible shelf having a checkered field on one side and a pin obstructed field on shelf adapted to receive or game PIGC-GS and apparatus ing pan.

the other side,

said support diiterent such as ten pins,

a fortune tolling wheel or disc and a count- Vith these'ends in view, this invention consists in the deta ls of construction and combination of elements forth and then specificall the claims.

In order that hereinafter set y designated by those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, may understand how to make and use describe its construction in thesam'e, we will detail, .reterrmg board illustrating the use of Burlington by different game pieces.

rounded dice which may by numerals to the accon'ipanying drawings forming a part of this application, in which 7 Fig. 1, is a side elevation of the game i of aspring gun,

a portion of which is broken away.

Fig. 2, is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 3, is a plan view of the base board.

Fig. l, is a section at the line 4% of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5, is a fragmentary plan. view of the game board showing the removable shelf in place with the checkered field uppermost and one manner in which the ten pins can be placed as well as one position for the fortune telling wheel, a portion of which is broken away'to illustrate the details'of construction.

Fig. 6, is a. side elevation of Fig. 5 with in section.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the game shelf reversed to the view in Fig. 3. I i Fig. 8, is an ec e view thereof.

Fig. 9, is a plan view of the counting pan used with the shelf.

Fig. 10, is a transverse sectionthereof.

Fig. 11, is a fragmentary side elevation of the game board showing the shelf in position when the pin obstructed field and counting pan are used.

Fig. 12, is an elevation of one .of the be used for playing a game .on the game board.

Fig. 13, represents one of the national game figures or game pieces used in the League of Nations game.

In carrying out our invention as here e1nbodied, 10 represents the base boardhaving short legs 11 at its outer end and longer legs 12 at its inner end so that said base board inclines downwardly from its inner toward its outer end. On the top face or surface of the base board are arranged a plurality of spaced walls 13 providing channels 14 therebetween and some of these walls are curved or have branches at their outer ends as indicated at 15to provide'obstructions for marbles or balls which aroused in connection with a game. The outermost walls are so arranged at their'outerends as to provide an enclosure 16 having spots 17 marked off at whiclr'places game pieces are to he set. The enclosure 16 communicates through an opening or gateavay 18 with an alley 19 produced by walls 20 and this alley is in line with the central channel 14 and has a spot 21 marked off for the placement of a game piece. The game pieces are preferably figures representing several countries one of which is shown in Fig. 13 and represented by the numeral 22.

The channels 14, or certain ones thereof, have narrow longitudinally arranged elevated portions 23 with concave upper surfaces, as shown in Fig. 4, so that if a marble happens to run on the elevation it will run in a straight line to a point in endwise alignment therewith thereby guiding the marble toward a certain 2111119 piece.

At the inner end of the base board is a steep incline 24 divided into a number of spaces 25 by suitable walls 26 the lower ends of which are of angular arrangement as indicated at 27 in order to guide the marbles toward the different channels.

The base board 10 is provided with a plurality of sockets 28 for the reception of the lower ends of the standards 29 and the upper ends of the latter being socketed in the platform or upper'board 30 inclined in the opposite direction to that of the base board, Fig. 1. On top of the platform are arranged av number of spaced walls 31 so positioned as to provide two outside tracks 32 having their outer ends curved and leading to a central track 33 a portion of which gradually increases in width toward its inner end and adjacent said inner end are formed a number of holes 34 through the platform and communicating with chutes 35 the ends of which overlie the spaces 25 so that a marble passing through one of the holes 84 will follow its respective chute into one of the spaces 25. Adjacent the holes 34 are a number of pockets 86 which may catch marbles and prevent them from passing through the holes 34 so that no score can be made by the player.

The inner end of the track 33 may be and is closed by a gate 37 when a game is being played in which the holes 34 are used, this gate being removably mounted in guides 38 and on the face of the gate toward the holes 34 are mounted a number of wire springs 39 so that if the marbles pass beyond the holes 34 they will be thrown back so as to again pass by or possibly through the holes 34.

In playing the game a marble or ball may be placed at or adjacent the mouth of either of the tracks 32 and shot along either of said tracks by the players finger or a suitable propelling device may be used such as a spring gun conventionally shown at 40 which is pivoted in a hole 41, Fig. 5.

ssumingthat the game pieces 22 are placed on the spots 17 and 21 then when a marble or ball is shot through the tracks 32 and 33 they will eventually pass through the holes 34 and down the chutes 35 on to the steep incline 24 thence passing through. the spaces 25 into the channels 14 where they will be guided hither and thither until they come to rest or hit the game pieces and knock them down. These game pieces may have different counting values and that game piece which sits on the spot 21 may have a comparatively greater value than those within the closure 16.

A shelf board 141 is removably connected with the inner end of the platform by means of suitable fastening devices 42 while its outer end may be supported in ditierent elevations by the adjustable struts 43 preferably pivoted to the sides of the shelf board and provided with notches 44 for coaction with pins 45 or their equivalent carried by the base board. This shelf board is provided on one side with a checkered field 46 surrounded on three sides by a flange 47. The side without a flange coacts with the inner end of the platform board in such a way that their playing surfaces are in the same plane and to accomplish this we provide cleats 48 projecting frtnn the inner end of the platform on which the shelf rests. The several squares of the checkered field may have different values so that when a ball or marble rests on any one of them the player receives a certain count or said field may be used as a receiving place for rounded dice 49, Fig. 12, which may be propelled over the tracks 32 and 33 in the same manner as the balls or marbles but when the shelf board 141 is being used the gate 37 is removed and the holes 34 closed by plugs or stoppers 50. Again the checkered field of the shelf board may be utilized as a place to stand ten pins 51 in the regular or any desirable formation or said shelf or the inner end'of the platform may be used to support the fortune telling apparatus 52 which includes a ver tical shaft for insertion in a hole 54, Fig. 7, and on this shaft is revolubly mounted a sleeve 55 carrying a pointer 56 and radia arms 57 by which the pointer may be revolved when any one of said arms is hit by aball or marble. Above the pointer and said arms is located a disc 58 mounted on the upper end of the shaft 53 so as to remain stationary and the upper outer surface of this disc is divided into a number of spaces 59 by the radial lines 60 and in said spaces 55) are delineated certain predict-ions such as you will cross water. A marble or ball is shot in the manner before stated around the tracks and 3 3 and when said marble or ball hits one of the arms 57 the pointer 56 will spin therewith and the space on the disc or dial at which it stops indicates the players fortune, it being understood that the end of the pointer projects beyond the circumference of the dial.

()a the reverse side of the shelf a pin 'obstructed field 61 is provided the pins 62 being so arranged as to provide two boundaries 63 with lanes 64 within the boundary pins and these lanes lead to different points in the counting pan (55 located at the lower end of the shelf, as shown in Fig. 11, but removable therefrom. The counting pan 65 includes a chamber 66, the open upper end of which is divided by transverse wire or strips 67 in order to provide separate pockets having different counting values.

lVhen playing a game with this side of the shelf board the ball or marble shot in a manner similar to that before described and as it passes onto the pin obstructed field it will move from side to side and finally run into one of the pockets so as to indicate the players count for that shot and by adding the counts for a number of shots together a final score may be obtained.

' Of course we do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction as herein shown as these may be varied within the lin its of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new and useful is 1. A game apparatus comprising a base board inclined 'n one direction, a platform board supported on the base board and inclined in the opposite direction, tracks on the platform board for guiding rollable game pieces to holes through the platform board, chutes disposed beneath said holes, a steep incline having separate-d'spaces positioned beneath the chutes, spaced longitudinal walls on the base board providing channels leading from the spaces on the steep incline and producing an enclosure at the outer end in which are spots to receive game pieces, other walls on the base board producing an alley in communication with said enclosure, and removable means acting as a bar to one of the tracks adjacent the holes through the platform.

2. A game apparatus, ranged on an incline, walls on said base board fashioned to provide spaced channels, and an enclosure in which said channels lead, other walls arranged to provide an alley communicating with said enclosure, wall pieces representing different nations to be set in the enclosure and saidalley, a steep incline having walls to provide spaces communicating with the channels, a platform board, uprights soeketed in the base and platform for supporting the latter in an inclined position opposite to that of the base board, walls on the platform providing central and side tracks communicating at their ends, removable means of the central track, springs on the inner a base board ar to close one end face of said removable means, said platform board having holes therethrough and sockets within the central track adjacent the removable means, chutes depending from the underside of the platform for guiding game pieces falling through the holes into the different spaces on the steep incline, and means to a game piece into one of the side tracks.

3. The structure set'forth in claim 2, in combination with a shelf board, means to detachably connect said shelf board to the inner end of the platform board, said shelf board having a checkered field and a flange around the three sides of the shelf board.

f. A game apparatus including a base board set in an inclined position, channels lengthwise of said baseboard leading to an enclosure having an alley in communication therewith, a steep incline at the end of the board opposite the alley and provided with spaces leading to the channels, a platform board supported above the an inclined position to that of the base board, said platform board having tracks thereon, a shelf board, means to detachably connect one side of said shelf board to the platform board, means to support the outer end of the shelf board, pins on the shelf board to provide a field with intercommunieating lanes, and a counting pan provided with pockets detachably connected to the outer edge of the shelf board so that said pockets communicate with the aforementioned lanes.

5. ,A game apparatus including tracks through which a rollable gain-e piece is propelled, a fortune telling device positioned in the path of travel of the rollable game piece, said fortune telling device comprising a shaft, a dial divided into segments wherein are delineated certain predictions and mounted on the upper end of the shaft, a sleeve rotatably mounted on said shaft below the dial, radial arms carriedvby said sleeve, and a pointer also carried by said sleeve with its end projecting beyond the circumference of the dial.

6. In a device of the character stated, a shelf board having acheckered field on one side and a pin obstructed field on the opposite side, said pin obstructed field providing intercommunicating lanes, flanges partially surrounding the shelf board and projecting from the face having the checkered field in combination with a game board having tracks through which a marble is shot on to the shelf board.

, In testimony whereof, we have hereunto a'lfixed our signatures.

mnnmon WENDELKEN. FRANK wanna base board in 

